Jakarta LRT to Begin Operations by August 10

Jakarta’s light rapid transit (LRT), which connects Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta to the Jakarta International Velodrome in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, will begin operation on August 10, one week before the Asian Games start, an official has said.

Dwi Wahyu Daryoto, president director of city-owned PT Jakarta Propertindo, the builder of the LRT, said the company was waiting for the Transportation Ministry to issue a certificate that would allow its operation, kompas.com reported.

He added that the project was 95 percent complete and that the fares had yet to be determined.

“We are in talks with the Jakarta administration to discuss the ticket [fares]… It has undergone static and dynamic testing, so we only need the certificate from the Transportation Ministry,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno said the administration would involve many stakeholders in determining the fares.

When completed, the LRT is expected to carry athletes competing at the Games and to help ease Jakarta’s chronic traffic woes.